Here's one way Apple's next big iPhone update will make your phone a lot smarter

When Apple unveiled
iOS 9 earlier this month, it made it clear that your iPhone
is about to get a lot smarter.

Siri will be able to communicate with apps so that it can offer
relevant information before you ask for it. You'll be able to
search for anything on your iPhone — even content from within
your apps — through the iPhone's search bar.

But Apple is going one step further by actually predicting which
apps you want to use.

Starting this
fall, your iPhone is going to be able to actually learn about
your habits.The update will come with a new feature that prompts
your iPhone to launch a specific app in response to a
trigger.

So, for instance, if it's 7:30 am in the morning and you're on
your way to work, an app like Spotify or Apple Music would launch
once you plug in your headphones. Plugging in your headphones at
that specific time tells your iPhone that you're probably looking
to listen to music during your morning commute.

Alternatively, plugging in your headphones at night before you go
to bed might tell your iPhone or iPad that you're about to watch
some TV before going to sleep, so it might launch Netflix
instead.

There's no way to customize which apps launch in response to
certain triggers, but the feature itself will be optional.

It's a small addition, but one that sounds like it could make
your iPhone even easier to use if it works well. It shows that
Apple is trying to improve the overall experience of how you
actually use apps rather than just adding new features.

The analysts at Jeffries
have noted this recently, too. Both iOS and Android both have
~1m apps in their respective app stores. So, coming up with new
ways to switch between those apps and access them more quickly is
increasingly important.

Similar features have existed in Android for quite some time. For
example, Android owners have the option of downloading a launcher
— i.e. a homescreen replacement — such as Aviate that serves up
the apps it thinks you will use at certain times during the day.

The key is to see how well this feature actually works. If Apple
automatically opens apps I don't want to use when I plug in my
headphones, it's going to be more of a nuisance than an aid. But
if it works well, it could make using your iPhone that much more
simple.